The Jets declined to comment on a report in yesterday's Boston Globe that they gave linebacker Jonathan Vilma permission to seek a trade with any team in the league except the Patriots.

The two teams are bitter AFC East rivals and it's conceivable the Jets wouldn't want to deal Vilma within the division and have the move come back to haunt them. But Vilma was an ill-fit in the Jets' 3-4 scheme and the Patriots run the same defense.

Jacksonville and New Orleans are among Vilma's likely destinations. The Jets are believed to be seeking a third-round pick.